Chapter 322
Escalation (増強 Zōkyō) is the 322nd chapter of manga, Baby Steps. Characters in Order of Appearance Summary Score is 5-4 with Takuma in the lead. However, Takuma's awakening to the realization of Ei-chan's fantastic stroke. Synopsis Ei-chan thinks that though he'd struck with a body shot with quite a lot of power, he'd been beaten with a drop shot. Takuma's reaction is also amazing, but more than that, what technique! Ei-chan wonders whether he should have aimed for the side or body with a faster ball. Takuma thinks this way is fine. Serve and volley uses sensitivity rather than strokes: no more than 1cm of the toss, only once of the racket face, just a momentary slip in timing influences the outcome. Based on Takuma's toss, Ei-chan concludes the serve will be either a flat or spin...with the probability of a center (53%). Wide was 43% and body 4%. Takuma thinks he doesn't have time to be puzzled by this and that of Ei-chan's tactics. His serve clocks at 225kph, but Ei-chan manages to touch it. 5-4 with Takuma in the lead. The audience marvels over Takuma's serve. Someone speculates he's the best in Japan, if judging only by serves. Others think Ei-chan's technique is quite good, but he can't do anything against that serve. Coach Aoi thinks it doesn't mean Ei-chan didn't do anything. Ei-chan thinks he hadn't been able to return the serve even though he'd predicted correctly, so what to do? He wonders whether he can only move earlier/faster despite the higher risk. Even though he's correctly predicted the course of 3 out of 4 of the first serves...even though it isn't bad numerically, he's a long way from breaking. But because he took a chance, Takuma didn't manage an ace. Being able to predict like this is because Takuma is hitting his serves "as usual." Ei-chan concludes that he's starting to match the timing. If he returns the serve even a bit more, no doubt Takuma will try to hit an even better serve. If Ei-chan can put pressure doing it that way even slightly, there's a point in nibbling at Takuma. If he puts more pressure than usual, the likelihood of Takuma's making an error will increase with just that. At least it should. He decides to continue putting a bit of pressure on that extravagant serve. Ei-chan thinks he can only believe that he'll be able to break through with just that at some point. Ei-chan's service game starts. With the score at 5-4, he reminds himself that he'll be a set down if his serve is broken. It will be hard if he's a set down first with Takuma as his opponent. In which case, Takuma will definitely start to attack immediately and raise the gear several notches... If that happens, Ei-chan will fall behind even more. That's why the initiative is essential right now. He corrects himself: he mustn't just beat Takuma to the punch, he must continue beating him to the punch. Takuma's surprised by Ei-chan's quick serve and his return hits the net. 15-0. Ei-chan notes that Takuma had started a return dash. This confirmed his suspicion that Takuma intended to play at the net, which would give Takuma the advantage of deciding a ball right away. Ei-chan's next serve is slow at 149kph and apparently took Takuma by surprise. Ei-chan wonders if the timing had slipped away (probably from Takuma) and notes that Takuma doesn't go to the net and that Takuma is a step slow in returning to the middle of the baseline. So Takuma's making an open court. Ei-chan's next shot is deep. Takuma returns it. Ei-chan thinks that in going deep, he was able to move Takuma back. So he hits a drop shot. 30-0. The audience notes that Ei-chan's somehow continuing to hold his game. It's a narrow margin, but he's not giving up his advantage. Ei-chan thinks that if he lets Takuma do what he (Takuma) wants to do, even once, it will be the end. Takuma can take the net, which is his specialty, and take the upper hand with one ball. Ei-chan decides to forestall him and seal him before that happens. Takuma wonders how many times he'll be beaten by that slow ball before Ei-chan's satisfied. He notes that Ei-chan's next serve again isn't fast, but the course is good. He thinks Ei-chan's power and stroke are average, but Ei-chan can't be deal with by ordinary means. All courses, all ball types, timing...they've been going in without error to bad spots for Takuma. That accuracy makes Ei-chan a totally different person from before. Takuma remembers that Ei-chan defeated Asano and dominated the first round of the actual tournament. If he's gotten to the point where Takuma also isn't able to break, then Takuma can't not acknowledge it. This guy's (EI-chan's) stroke is quite something. Takuma concludes that he has to deal with that suitably. Flashback to Takuma's practice with Monma. Takuma's shot goes out. Monma asks what's with that stroke; isn't Takuma in the mood to play? When Takuma replies that he's doing it properly, Monma criticizes Takuma's stroke as sloppy. He points out that no matter how much of a pure serve-and-volleyer Takuma is, strengthening his stroke is indispensable to go forward in a return game. Takuma counters that strengthening it will result in errors. Monma asks rhetorically if Takuma thinks doing it stronger will strengthen his strokes, then calls him optimistic. He speculates that the truth is that Takuma had simply wanted to put away the ball quickly, so he did it a bit stronger. Which means Takuma lacks endurance/perseverance/patience. He adds that Takuma won't make it in the world like that. Monma cites Ike as a demon in his strokes. Takuma counters that he's not worrying about Ike anymore. Monma argues that Ike's stroke is top class even in the world, that it's prodigious. It's natural that Takuma can't try to ignore Ike if he really wants to go international and play against that guy. Takuma then asks how Monma would play if he intends to counter Ike's stroke. Monma replies that he honestly doesn't want to play against Ike. Takuma sweatdrops, asking if Monma's turned fainthearted after saying that much. Monma tells him that's the reason for waiting for the bait. Takuma parrots, "Bait?" So Monma orders Takuma to partner him today in his Ike countermeasure. Navigation Category:Volume 34 Category:All-Japan Championship Arc